Wild Idea

OK. Congress stinks. Every single member needs a reality check and I think I have an idea. Lets start with a few items. I specifically remember the CEO's of Ford, GM, and Chrysler getting grilled by Congress about their private planes. This caused a stir with many of companies selling their planes. Then, Congress blasted AIG for paying bonuses and tacked on a 90% tax to their pay. I still think this is unconstitutional. Many of those workers were not taking a salary. The bonuses were being used to retain employees. Afterwards, many businesses were targets of Congress for taking lavish retreats. This has caused many issues with economy in Las Vegas.

Since this time, Congress obviously did not listen to their own advice. Not only did they want to spend a couple hundred million dollars to replace some aging planes, they tacked on an additional three hundred million dollars for additional planes. Can we have the automobile executives grill Congress on their use of private planes?

Then we had a little party at the Arizona Biltmore for the Social Security administration. The video was great showing all of the drinking and dancing with our retirement money. I forgot, Social Security is broke. It only contains IOU's from Congress stating they will pay the trust fund back. Where did they get seven hundred thousand dollars?

Now, we have the VA paying massive bonuses. Some of the bonuses ranged in the tens of thousands of dollars. Didn't I read a little while ago about how many of our veterans and soldiers are still waiting on their VA checks? Since they are using tax payer money, should they be taxed at 90% too?

Time for my solution. I figure as a tax payer, Congress should treat me as a shareholder with all tax payers having the final say on executive pay and perks.

I propose cutting the Congressional pay for all members of Congress and the President to $1,000 per approval percentage point. With a max salary of $100,000. We can add on bonuses for cutting waste. I would say each member can get a bonus 1% of each item they find items that save the tax payers money with a maximum cap of $2,000 per bonus. Of course, the income tax would be set at 90% since it is tax payer money. I say we allow the AIG executives write up the payment contract.

Then I would dissolve the current Congressional pension fund and move all members into Social Security for their retirement account. I will let all seniors who only have Social Security payments for income draft the legislation.

In order to cut health care costs, each member will be placed on the VA roles for obtaining all health services. We already pay for the doctors and hospitals. If it is good enough for those willing to die for our country, then it is surely good enough for Congress and the President. The veterans will get to put together the plan for adding members of Congress to the waiting list.

In order to fund these transitions, I would sell those fancy private planes. From here on out, each member of Congress only gets $10,000 per year for travel and will have to get all travel approved by the tax payers in advance. The President can keep Airforce One for safety measures. Maybe this will keep them grounded long enough to actually enact legislation that works.

Lastly, we need to address saving money on sleeping quarters for Congress when they are in Washington, DC representing us. Time to implement the new roommate system. Each member of Congress will be forced to bunk with a member of the opposite party in a college dorm style apartment. We can build it right next to the Capital. I would start with John Bohner and Nancy Pelosi and move down the chain of command.

I would bet if we had changes like this, Congress actually might start passing legislation that worked for the tax payers. Wasteful spending would get cut. Our medical care issues would get fixed. Party conflicts would be come to a halt. Do not want to have an angry roommate. They just might wake up with a new hair cut or covered in shaving cream.